Socialist Republic of Vietnam

VEF Executive Director, Dr. Vo Van Toi

Three weeks after being hand-picked by the White House to head the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), the Vietnamese-American CEO was in Vietnam to discuss this year’s scholarships with Thanh Nien newspaper.
VEF Executive Director, Dr. Vo Van Toi – an associate professor at Tufts University in Boston and former President of the VEF board of directors has returned to his homeland to work with officials from the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Science and Technology on education, training, and technology cooperation.

Toi said the VEF provides fellowships to the most talented Vietnamese for graduate study in the United States in Science and Technology.

The organization maintains high standards of excellence by choosing only top-notch students who demonstrate the ability to thrive in the US academic setting, he said.

Transparency

Toi insisted that fellows would be selected through a highly competitive, open and transparent process and that VEF prefers PhD candidates who are recent university graduates, including young college faculty.

Work experience or government affiliation is not required. The fellowship is open to all qualified citizens of Vietnam, regardless of their gender, regional origin, and social or political background.

VEF is an independent federal agency created by the US Congress and funded annually by the US Government. Its mission is to strengthen the US-Vietnam bilateral relationship through educational exchanges in science and technology.

It is governed by a Board of Directors including US Cabinet Members, Senators and Representatives and Presidential Appointees. VEF headquarters is located in the Washington DC area, with a representative office in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The fund has been in operation for the last 4 years and brought nearly 200 Vietnamese students and postgraduates to more than 50 leading universities in the US.

Vietnamese studying on VEF scholarships are required to return to Vietnam after completing their studies at American universities.

For the 2008 academic year, Vietnamese applicants must complete and submit their forms to the VEF office in Hanoi before April. 6 this year.

Thanhniennews.com